314 ANECDOTE OF MALL AM CATAB. 



streets are very dirty, owing to the crowded si- 

 tuation of the houses. I asked the Mallam the 

 reason of their dwellings being built so close to 

 each other ; but he could give me no information. 

 I inquired if it was done for the purpose of 

 keeping out the Felatah horse, as Egga is built 

 in a confined situation for that reason. He said 

 that this was not the reason, but it was custom- 

 ary to construct them so. He laughed immo- 

 derately as he told me, that when the Fela- 

 tahs plundered the town last season, one of them 

 called out, " Catab ! Catab !" and invited him 

 to return to the town, whence he had fled. The 

 Mallam hearing himself called by name, replied, 

 " You son of a dog ! is it you and your com- 

 rades, who go about plundering the country, who 

 are calling me ?" He told me this with much 

 glee, congratulating himself at the idea of get- 

 ting clear of him. The Felatah, who wore a 

 white tobe, seeing that he could not entice Catab 

 from the sandbank, went away with the rest. 



The morning of the 12th was dull : the King 

 of Addacoodah came on board and stayed some 

 tim^. 



The next day, Mallam Catab came on board. 



